It is well known that butadiene readily polymerizes when heated. Heat polymerization is rapid. In fact, polymerization increases with increasing temperature. This polymerization is undesirable during many stages of the manufacturing, processing, handling, storage and use of butadiene.
The common industrial method for producing butadiene includes a variety of purification processes, including distillation, to remove impurities. Unfortunately, purification operations carried out at elevated temperatures result in an increased rate of undesired polymerization. Polymerization, such as thermal polymerization, during the monomer purification process, results in loss of production efficiency caused by polymer formation and in agglomeration on process equipment. In heat requiring operations, such agglomeration adversely affects heat transfer efficiency.